Bitcoin futures surge amid frenzy over virtual currencyNEW YORK -- Wall Street got its first taste of bitcoin on Monday, with the price of the first-ever futures contract for the digital currency jumping 20 percent. It's a step forward for the bitcoin, which has soared this year despite concerns that the surge of investor interest has transformed it from a new-age currency into just the latest speculative bubble. One prominent securities regulator warned that people were now taking out second mort...

Politics worrying scientistsSTOCKHOLM -- An American scientist who shared this year's Nobel Prize for medicine bluntly criticized political developments at home in his address at the awards' gala banquet, saying that U.S. scientists are facing funding cutbacks that will hurt research. Michael Rosbash, who was honored for his work on circadian rhythms -- commonly called the body clock -- expressed concern that U.S. government funding such as that received by him and Nobel...

Walmart changing its legal nameNEW YORK — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is changing its legal name effective Feb. 1 as it shifts away from physical stores in the age of Amazon's increasing dominance. The world's largest retailer, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, said Wednesday it will change its legal name to Walmart Inc. from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. It said the move underscores its growing emphasis on serving shoppers in different ways beyond just physical stores but also online, on th...

Trump declares Jerusalem Israeli capital, smashing US policyWASHINGTON — President Donald Trump shattered decades of unwavering U.S. neutrality on Jerusalem Wednesday, declaring the sorely divided holy city as Israel's capital and sparking frustrated Palestinians to cry out that he had destroyed already-fragile Mideast hopes for peace. Defying dire, worldwide warnings, Trump insisted that after repeated peace failures it was past time for a new approach, starting with what he said was his decision mere...

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By MATTHEW LEE and BRADLEY KLAPPER, Associated PressAssociated Press

Syria's Assad travels to Russia, meets with PutinMOSCOW— Syrian President Bashar Assad was asked to come to Russia to get him to agree to potential peace initiatives drafted by Russia, Iran and Turkey as Russia prepares to scale down its military presence in the country's civil war, the Kremlin said Tuesday. Vladimir Putin hosted his Syrian counterpart in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday, ahead of a summit between Russia, Turkey and Iran and a new round of Syria peace talks in Geneva....

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By NATALIYA VASILYEVA and BASSEM MROUE, Associated PressAssociated Press

Trump administration announces sanctions against North KoreaWASHINGTON — The Trump administration plans to announce Tuesday new sanctions on North Korea, after declaring it a state sponsor of terrorism in the latest push to isolate the pariah nation. North Korea has joined Iran, Sudan and Syria on America's terror blacklist, a largely symbolic step as the administration already has the authority to impose virtually any sanctions it wants on Kim Jong Un's government over its nuclear weapons development....

US declares NKorea a terror sponsor; new sanctions expectedWASHINGTON— President Donald Trump announced Monday the U.S. is putting North Korea's "murderous regime" on America's terrorism blacklist, despite questions about Pyongyang's support for international attacks beyond the assassination of its leader's half brother in February. Trump said the designation as a state sponsor of terror was long overdue, and he promised a new wave of sanctions as part of a "maximum pressure campaign" over North Korea...

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By MATTHEW PENNINGTON and ZEKE MILLER, Associated PressAssociated Press

Hippie cult leader Charles Manson dead at 83LOS ANGELES— Charles Manson, the hippie cult leader who became the hypnotic-eyed face of evil across America after masterminding the gruesome murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles during the summer of 1969, died Sunday night after nearly a half-century in prison. He was 83. Manson died of natural causes at a California hospital while serving a life sentence, his name synonymous to this day with unspeakable viole...

Egypt displays previously unseen King Tut artifactsCAIRO — Egypt opened an exhibition on Wednesday to display previously unseen treasures from King Tutankhamun's famed tomb. At least 55 pieces of fabric decorated with gold that were found in the tomb of the pharaoh, better known as King Tut, will be exhibited in public for the first time since its discovery in 1922, said German conservator Christian Eckmann. He said the pieces had been kept in storage at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo for some 9...

Trump buddies up to Duterte, doesn't highlight human rightsMANILA, Philippines— Winding down his visit to Asia, President Donald Trump repeatedly praised Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, called him by his first name, shared a joke with him about the media and even complimented Manila's weather. What he did not do Monday was what many of his predecessors made a point of doing while abroad: publicly highlight human rights abuses. Duterte has overseen a bloody drug war that has featured extrajudicia...

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By JONATHAN LEMIRE and JILL COLVIN, Associated PressAssociated Press

Protesters disrupt US fossil, nuclear event at climate talksBONN, Germany — Protesters drowned out speeches by White House advisers and business representatives Monday at an event the U.S. government sponsored at the U.N. climate talks in Germany promoting the use of fossil fuels and nuclear energy. About 200 protesters stood up 10 minutes into the event and began singing an anti-coal song to the tune of "God Bless the U.S.A." They were ushered out of the room without further incident. The event late M...

US and them: America, the elephant in room at climate talksWASHINGTON — How's this for awkward? The United States has a delegation at international climate talks in Bonn that will be telling other nations what they should do on an agreement that the president wants no part of. President Donald Trump has promised to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 Paris climate pact where nations set their own goals to reduce the emissions of heat-trapping gases, but because of legal technicalities America can't get ou...

Scientists discover hidden chamber in Egypt's Great PyramidCAIRO — Scientists have found a hidden chamber in Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza, the first such discovery in the structure since the 19th century and one likely to spark a new surge of interest in the pharaohs. In an article published in the journal Nature on Thursday, an international team said the 30-meter (yard) void deep within the pyramid is situated above the structure's Grand Gallery, and has a similar cross-section. The purpose of the ...

New screenings for US-bound passengers on global airlinesDUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Five global long-haul airlines will begin new security interviews of all passengers on U.S.-bound flights starting Thursday at the request of American officials, the companies said Wednesday. Long-haul carriers Air France, Cathay Pacific, EgyptAir, Emirates and Lufthansa all said they'd start the screenings. A sixth carrier, Royal Jordanian, said it would begin the new procedures in mid-January after U.S. authorit...

Study: Pollution kills 9 million a year, costs $4.6 trillionNEW DELHI — Environmental pollution — from filthy air to contaminated water — is killing more people every year than all war and violence in the world. More than smoking, hunger or natural disasters. More than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. One out of every six premature deaths in the world in 2015 — about 9 million — could be attributed to disease from toxic exposure, according to a major study released Thursday in the Lancet medica...

US-backed Syrian force declares victory over IS in RaqqaBEIRUT — Syrian Kurdish-led forces backed by the United States declared victory over the Islamic State group in its former "capital" of Raqqa on Friday, declaring the northern Syrian city free of any extremist presence after a four-month battle that left it in ruins. At a press conference held inside the city, the Syrian Democratic Forces as they are known formally handed over administration of the devastated northern city to a council made up...

CIA head: NKorea months from perfecting nuclear capabilitiesWASHINGTON — CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Thursday that North Korea is months away from perfecting its nuclear weapons capabilities. "They are close enough now in their capabilities that from a U.S. policy perspective we ought to behave as if we are on the cusp of them achieving" their objective of being able to strike the United States, Pompeo told a national security forum in Washington. But he said there's a difference between having the a...

Harry Potter exhibit marks 20th anniversary of first bookLONDON — Harry Potter fans owe a debt of gratitude to Alice Newton. Alice was 8 years old when her father, a Bloomsbury Publishing executive, brought home a new manuscript for her to read. "The excitement in this book made me feel warm inside," she scrawled in a note to her dad. "I think it is probably one of the best books an 8/9 year old could read." Based on this glowing review, Bloomsbury published "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone...

Hurricane Ophelia's remnants batter UK, Ireland; 3 deadLONDON — The remnants of Hurricane Ophelia slammed into Ireland with wind gusts of up to 80 mph (130 kph) on Monday, killing at least three people, grounding planes, shutting schools and causing widespread power outages. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar urged people to stay indoors until the storm passed. Tens of thousands of homes were without power and the military was placed on standby. Some hurricane-force gusts were reported 30 years to ...

Family held captive by Taliban-linked group releasedWASHINGTON — An American woman, her Canadian husband and their three young children have been released after years held captive by a group that has ties to the Taliban and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, U.S. and Pakistani officials said Thursday. U.S. officials said Pakistan secured the release of Caitlan Coleman of Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, and her husband, Canadian Joshua Boyle, who were abducted five years ag...